Listening is the greatest skill managers can possess; it is an integral part of all relationships. Listening proves that a manager cares, and it earns the trust of employees. In order to demonstrate attention, a manager should use open body language, make eye contact, and drop any busywork to openly face the employee. To further demonstrate they are listening, managers should ask for clarification and prove they want to understand 
the employee better. This can be done by:
- Restating comments using the speaker’s own words
- Asking clarification questions
- Paraphrasing what the speaker said
Requesting clarification makes it easier to deliver what people want. If a manager does not have time to listen, he or she should say so and make time for it in the future. A simple listening process for managers involves:
- Focusing solely on the speaker
- Eliminating the advice that they may want to offer at that moment
- Using open body language
- Clarifying what they think they heard
To be a first-rate manager, one must believe that communication is the most important tool in their arsenal, and he or she must actively put it into practice every day. Successful managers are engaging to their employees by being positive, open, and receptive to the needs of others. In doing so, managers are able to influence others and implement change throughout the organization, leading to outstanding collaboration and productivity.
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